Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.”
(Genesis 16:4)

Abram does what Sarai asked him too, that which seemed good to him, but it causes nothing but trouble.

As soon as Hagar was sure that she was pregnant, she raised herself and scorned her mistress. Because her mistress was barren and she was not. Again, without any word from God, people are deciding status based on fertility. But regardless of Hagar THOUGHT, there had been no change in her actual status.

All the strife between Hagar and Sarai came from Hagar’s attitude. She started despising Sarai BEFORE Sarai did anything. She hadn’t even done anything special by getting pregnant. A small success – pregnancy from natural causes – gave her a swollen head. She seeds strife, and receives it as a harvest.

The sage Rashi writes: ‘ויבא אל הגר ותהר AND HE CAME UNTO HAGAR AND SHE CONCEIVED from the first union (Genesis Rabbah 45:4). ותקל גברתה בעיניה HER MISTRESS WAS SLIGHTED IN HER EYES — She said, “As regards this woman Sarai, her conduct in private can certainly not be like that in public: she pretends to be a righteous woman, but she cannot really be righteous since all these years she has not been privileged to have children, whilst I have had that blessing from the first union” (Genesis Rabbah 45:4).’

The sage Tze’enah Ure’enah writes: ‘“He cohabited with Hagar and she conceived” [16:4]. Abraham slept with Hagar and she became pregnant. Hagar said about Sarah that she must not be properly pious; Abraham had been married to Sarah for many years and she did not have any children. I slept with Abraham once and became pregnant, and Hagar held her mistress in contempt. Sarah said to Abraham: you listen to my shame, how my maid shames and insults me and you are silent. God should pay you for this. Sarah further said to Abraham: you should have prayed for me and for you, that we should have children together. You only prayed for yourself. You said, “I shall die childless” [15:2], I go alone without children and you did not mention me.’

The Torah: A Woman’s Commentary writes: ‘became for her an object of scorn. Literally, “became lightweight in her eyes.” The status of childless women in antiquity was precarious, socially and economically. Pregnant, and as Abram’s new wife, Hagar has reason to feel that her position has been elevated.’